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So, this is the start of a new travel blog which I should have started around a month ago but didn´t and will comprise of regurgitated emails that I have already sent to other people. But I think you will enjoy it all the same and sorry to those who have read all of this before.
Ok, my trip started on Wednesday 31st May - having not slept on the plane (12 hour flight, good one Si) and feeling a little disorientated, tired and a little excited I touched down in Mexico City. Met a couple of people at the airport who by chance were staying at the same hostel as me; an Argentinian named Paolo who I had a terrifically bad Spanglish conversation with and a girl called Bindal from London and we managed to converse rather well. Initially I just wanted to go for a couple of beers before hitting the hay and having a sleepy and travelling to Guatemala airport the next morning. However, a crazy Mexican bar man decided to assault our group of 10 with 2 bottles of tequilla and would not stop until they were both finished. I had been warned me not to
drink the tequila in Mexico, but you know what, I felt fucking crazy so I got involved. The way they serve tequila in Mexico is by holding your head back and then tipping the tequila in until you choke, your eyes water, the earth spins, the heavens roar and the Elvin lord becomes king. Personally, I prefer the good old British slammer method but I wasnt going to argue. Eventually got to bed after being up for 26 hours and get into my dorm to find a girl not giving one solitary shit that she is padding around the dorm in just her knickers. Welcome to Mexico.
In between then and getting to Guatemala airport I lost my North Face top, my travel sweets and my head felt like someone was doing a Mexican hat dance in it. Get to Guatemala airport, no luggage. Shit! After having a moment of a sheer panic and touching cloth, I ask the Mexicana representive in my most stern British way possible "Where the bloody hell is my luggage!". She says "Que?" No, she speaks fluent English and tells me it was sent the night before and to pick it up from the
Mexicana office you arrogant British arsehole (she didnt, she was very polite). Race to the bus station in Guatemala City and then go onto the bus for Xela. Finally get there at around 10ish and meet my homestay Mum who is this lovely little Guatemalan lady called Eluvia. She doesnt speak a word of English but I practise my pidgeon Spanish with her and actually make her laugh by telling her in Guatemala they celebrate Easter with big massive processions and parades. In England we eat chocolate eggs (although I did spend 2 minutes flicking through my Spanish dictionary to find the Spanish word for chocolate. It´s chocolate.)
Next day I experience Semana Santa which is brilliant - they really do love Jesus here. Massive processions, people leaving out offerings, lots of noise, partying, amazing. I bought a taco for 50p and it was muy buen. Please have a look at the pics to get a flavour of it - it´s essentially a mini carnival with lots of Christ ephigies (sp?) and if you ask me, those are the best ones. Had a mooch around Xela and it is such an amazing town, loads of ladies wearing traditional indigenous
Mayan dress, mixed with colonial Spanish architecture but some westernisation creeping in to. But it does have a touch of the wild west too - dusty roads, clapped out 4x4 trundling along the streets, love it. It also has some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen so the next day I went on a trek up a mountain so I could commune with nature and feel a little bit alpha male. It was a tough trek, at the top a bit of rock climbing was required and in my haste to ascend a particularly pernicious cravass my neck went into spasm and I yelped like a little girl. However, got to the top, sweaty, tired, wheezing like some old man and there were a bunch of Guatemalans up there, cool as cucumbers just throwing paper planes off the top. Apparently, that´s what they do on a Saturday here! But I did feel a real sense of achievement notwithstanding, the view was incredible and thankfully my wonderful camera has managed to capture what it looks like 10,000ft above sea level.
Since then I have been taking it easy really, started Spanish lessons today which was muy difficil pero mi maestro es muy encantador. Have been suffering today of what could be flu so I am now on antibiotics, which sucks arse because I was supposed to be going to a cheese and wine bar tomorrow but now I can have no wine just cheese but I can deal with that. I wonder if they have Brie de Meaux in Guatemala? Maybe going on a trek tomorrow if I feel better and then salsa class on Wednesday and possibly another trek over the weekend but havent decided. I want to see a volcano spewing out some lava so I have to factor in seeing one of those bad boys at some point.
Anyway, please turn to Week Two to catch the next installment of Simon´s travel adventures. It really is a hoot.
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